Ncnb Sizes Up Centrust Bank Considers Bid For S&l`s Branches

March 7, 1990|By LANE KELLEY, Business Writer

The Southeast`s largest bank, NCNB Corp., is considering making a bid for the branches of the region`s largest savings and loan, CenTrust Bank, although regulators first must rule on another offer for CenTrust`s branches.

Jim Chandler, NCNB spokesman in Tampa, said on Tuesday that the bank has not made a formal bid for CenTrust because of the pending offer by California- based Great Western Bank to buy 63 of CenTrust`s 71 branches.

But Chandler said NCNB is interested in buying almost any failed S&L in the state, especially in South Florida.

``CenTrust has branches in Dade County that would be of interest to us, certainly,`` Chandler said. ``But I`d tell you that about almost any S&L in South Florida that has reasonably good branch projections.``

NCNB, one of the most aggressive and acquisitive banks in the United States in recent years, also has bid on another failed institution in South Florida -- First American Bank in Lake Worth.

Last year, Great Western agreed to buy nearly all of CenTrust`s branches for more than $100 million. At the time, CenTrust officials said the sale would help shore up the S&L`s dwindling capital reserves.

But the status of that deal grew doubtful in early February this year, when regulators took control of CenTrust in the largest financial failure in Florida history.

The agreement with Great Western called for CenTrust to sell every branch to Great Western except eight offices in Dade County. NCNB has 27 branches in Dade.